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M. D. BIRGE.

Horse. Hay-Fork.

No. 68,690. Patented Sept. 10, 1867.

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Letters Patent No. 68,690, dated September 10, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN;

Be it known that I, M. D'. BIRGE, of Grand Rapids, Kent county,Michigan, have invented anew and improved Horse Hay-Fork; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which- T Figure 1 represents aside View of my improved horse hay-fork.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same, the plane of sectionbeingindicated by the line a; z, Hg. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates ,to a new manner of operating a horse hay-fork ofthat class in which a' spirallyshaped tine is used, The inventionconsists in swivelling the shaft of the fork in a frame which issuspended by a rope from the roof of the barn, or' from some othermovable-or stationery apparatus, the said rope being secured to ahorizontal drum that has its bearings in the suspended frame, and thatis connected withthe fork by means of bevel gear-wheels in such a mannerthat they must both revolve together. When the fork is to.

be'loarled it is screwed into the hay, and thereby the rope is woundupon the drum as the same revolves with the fork. By means of a catch ofsuitable construction the drumand fork are prevented from turning whilethe hay is elevated by pulling the rope. When arrived over the placewhere the fork is to be discharged the catch is released and the ropeunwinds from the drum, thereby turning the latter and with it the forkin such a direction that the hay is being unscrewed from the fork whilethe same is thus being lowered and turned. The friction of the hayagainst the fork being so little and easily overcome by the weight ofthe hay, the mode of discharging, as above described, is madepracticable.

A represents the fork, which consists of a vertical rod having at itslower end a spiral tine, as shown.

Near its upper end the fork is swivelled into a plate, B, on which thebearings for a horizontal'drum, D, are.

arranged. The drum D and fork A are connected by means of bevelgear-\vheelsE as is clearly shown in fig. 1. F is acatch, which can bethrown into holes provided for that purpose in either one of thegear-wheel s after the rope Gr, which is attached to the drum D, andwhich passes over a pulley above, is wound'around the drum and the forkis charged-with hay. Then the whole apparatus is elevated by pulling therope G over the aforesaid pulley. The fork and drum not being able toturn by reason of the catch F, the hay will be retained,

on the fork. But as soon as the catch is released,,b'y pulling a cord,H, the drum will turn aud the rope G'wiil be unwound from the drum, andat the sarne time the fork will be turnbd so as to discharge the hay.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent The spiral forkA, when fitted in a frame or plate, B, and when connected, by means ofgear-wheels, or their equivalents, with a drum, D, in combination withthe catch F, all made and operating substantially as and for the purposeherein shownand described.

The above specification of my invention'signed by me this fourth day ofJune, 1867 M. D. BIRGE.

Witnesses:

J. LJWILKES, FRANK G. DILLENBAGK.

